IMPRONTE GEMMARIE DELLA COLLIZIONE BONCOMPAGNI

This is a set of impressions in a private collection documenting the gem collection of Piombino Boncompagni. The age of the box, comprising three trays, is not known, but the British Museum’s set is by Cades (T. Cades, Catalogo del Museo del Principe di Piombino. Collezione di 68 impronti cavati da gemme antiche appartenenti a S. E. il Sig.r Principe di Piombino). Many of the famous gems shown here have long been known with the provenance, such as the frontal bust of Dioskourides’ Demosthenes on tray one, bottom right, now in a private collection but formerly Lelio Pasqualini (Rubens saw the intaglio between 1600–1608); Gerolamo Boncampagni; Boncampagni-Ludovisi (Duca di Piombino); Tyskiewicz; Sir Arthur Evans (for a detailed bibliography and discussion see: J. Lang, Mit Wissen geschmückt? Zur bildlichen Rezeption griechischer Dichter und Denker in der römischen Lebenswelt. 2012, no. G De6).